Rising warmth risks Arctic dogs’ survival

Till recently an essential part of Greenland life, Arctic dogs now face a struggle to withstand rising temperatures and dwindling ice.

Known as passionate runners, Arctic sled dogs come under threat of diminishing population due to global warming. Image: Markus Trienke, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Climate News Network

Wednesday 23 August 2017

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Greenland’s Arctic dogs, a key part of the massive island’s life and culture, are disappearing.

According to local scientists and specialists in Denmark, the population of the dogs– traditionally used for transporting people and goods across Greenland’s vast snowy landscape and also for sled racing – has fallen by more than 50 per cent over the past 20 years.

The ice is not only reducing in area but also becoming thinner; local people no longer venture out on the ice as much as they once did to hunt and fish. Therefore fewer sled dogs are needed, and part of Greenland’s culture is dying.

“Many don’t know how fantastically unique the dog culture is,” says Meldgaard. “It’s part of Greenland’s identity, over 1,000 years old and the biggest working dog culture in the world.

Other causes

“Genetically, sled dogs are also extremely strong and resilient – we can be very proud of having a living sled dog culture and we should take care of it.” It’s estimated there are now fewer than 15,000 sled dogs left in Greenland.

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Many don’t know how fantastically unique the dog culture is. It’s part of Greenland’s identity, over 1,000 years old and the biggest working dog culture in the world.

Morten Meldgaard, Natural History Museum of Denmark

The decline in dog numbers is due to other factors besides changes in climate, says Meldgaard. Motorised snowmobiles are taking the place of dogs in many parts of the island. The price of food for the dogs has also been rising; fish waste, a traditional part of their diet, is not so plentiful as it once was, as catches decline.

Helping the handicapped

“Traditional hunters and fishermen are under pressure, so we should find new ways to use sled dogs”, says Meldgaard. “There are many options; sled dogs can, for example, be used as transport for tourists, as companions to tourists in the field, or to help handicapped children.”